Russian lawmakers could soon pass law to enact year-round military conscription, say U.K. officials

The Russian parliament is drafting legislation to allow military conscription throughout the year rather than during spring and autumn cycles as had been the practice in the past, British military officials said Monday.

The change will likely provide a continuous flow of conscripts for the Russian army in Moscow’s war against Ukraine and allow Russian military commanders to distribute pre-draft administrative processes throughout the year, the officials said.

“It is a realistic possibility that the change will also desensitize the population to the process,” British military officials posted on X in their latest assessment of the battlefield.

Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated the latest draft order on Sept. 29, calling for the addition of 135,000 conscripts from across Russia and the occupied territories of Ukraine.

Men aged 18 to 30 years old are subject to conscription. The upper age limit was increased from 27 in 2023, British officials said.

Conscripts have generally not been sent to fight in Ukraine. Instead, they are used to guard the Russian border and secure military sites, operating in rear areas to free up contract soldiers for the front lines.

However, they “highly likely” took part in the fighting in Russia’s Kursk oblast following Ukraine’s incursion into the region in August 2024. At least 250 Russian conscripts were reportedly captured as prisoners of war there, British officials said.

Potential military conscripts are not allowed to leave Russia for one week after the registration process begins. Failure to report within 20 days after receiving a summons could result in penalties and a fine of 30,000 rubles (about $360), British officials said.